lowering bolts not turning
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 4,912
Likes: 266
From: Charleston SC
lowering bolts not turning
I decided I'd try to lower the car and started out back, did the procedure of jacking up the car on one side, then let it back down with a jack stand on the end of the spring, but, the bolt "pad" that contact the A arm did not separate, and when I tried to turn it, it wouldn't loosen at all (I could see the pad twisting, like it was glued on to the A arm)...I gave it a good yank but to no avail...what's the best loosening device? WB 40 or some BB blaster?
Instructor
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 239
Likes: 4
I'd put the car on jack stands and put the jack as far out on the spring as the A arm will allow. As you jack up the spring, the pad will come off the A Arm a little bit before it starts to raise the car off the stand. And yes, WD 40 on the treads helps, and maybe even will "unglue" the pad from the arm. If you really want to get clever, loop a motorcycle tie down under the jack and connect the ends to the upper A arm, locking it in relative position to the base of the jack. This will ensure that you are forcing the spring pad away from the arm. All you need is just a little clearance to ensure the pad is unweighted and they should turn very easily.
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 10,924
Likes: 853
From: Daytona Beach FL
Here's a picture of the bushing on the bolt resting on the A-arm like you were mentioning:
Jack up the leaf spring to take the weight off the bolt/bushing and take a screwdriver and stick it in there and pry the pad of the bushing off of the A-arm.
On my '05 coupe, I took the bolts out and cut the bushings with a hacksaw - IT WAS HARD TO CUT THEM!!! THEY ARE TOUGH RUBBER!!!
If the pad has sort of bonded itself to the A-arm, you're not going to hurt the rubber by prying it loose with a screwdriver or some such tool.
Bob
Jack up the leaf spring to take the weight off the bolt/bushing and take a screwdriver and stick it in there and pry the pad of the bushing off of the A-arm.
On my '05 coupe, I took the bolts out and cut the bushings with a hacksaw - IT WAS HARD TO CUT THEM!!! THEY ARE TOUGH RUBBER!!!
If the pad has sort of bonded itself to the A-arm, you're not going to hurt the rubber by prying it loose with a screwdriver or some such tool.
Bob
Instructor
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 239
Likes: 4
BEZ06 -
When you took the bolts out, did you have to unbolt the lower control arms from the cradle? I did... I couldn't get enough clearance between the spring and A arm without hitting the halfshaft.
Just wondering...
When you took the bolts out, did you have to unbolt the lower control arms from the cradle? I did... I couldn't get enough clearance between the spring and A arm without hitting the halfshaft.
Just wondering...
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 14,082
Likes: 1,592
From: Edmond Oklahoma
I'd put the car on jack stands and put the jack as far out on the spring as the A arm will allow. As you jack up the spring, the pad will come off the A Arm a little bit before it starts to raise the car off the stand. And yes, WD 40 on the treads helps, and maybe even will "unglue" the pad from the arm. If you really want to get clever, loop a motorcycle tie down under the jack and connect the ends to the upper A arm, locking it in relative position to the base of the jack. This will ensure that you are forcing the spring pad away from the arm. All you need is just a little clearance to ensure the pad is unweighted and they should turn very easily.
This is exactly what you do! dont forget to put a little grease wheere the rubber bushing rests on the lower control arm. If not you may get a squeek.
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 1,861
Likes: 4
From: Houston TX
Mmmmm....HHOOOOOSSSIIIEEERRR. Breaking mine in this weekend.
I was planning on lowering the car at the track this weekend. Is this really as simple as it appears? Jack the car up, jack stands, jack up the end of the spring, separate the pad, and turn to adjust?
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Race Director
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 10,924
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From: Daytona Beach FL
The bolt actually screws "up" through the leaf spring and the tip of the bolt sticking up above the spring has a 10mm hex head on it (IIRC) so you can put a wrench on it to turn it, however once you take the pressure off the rubber bushing (which is on the head of the bolt) you can usually turn them with your fingers.
Yeah, you can see a Hoosier sitting there. I was putting the C6Z back to street configuration after an HPDE and just took this picture because I was under there. For the track I swapped to DBA rotors, Hawk DTC70 pads, cranked the camber way in and adjusted toe for an aggressive track alignment, and put on the Hoosiers - and I was under there while putting the OE rotors, etc. back on and re-aligning for the street.
You can see the '05 coupe in the background, and it's slammed pretty low. I got the Z06 used about 18 months ago, but I think the previous owner had not done anything at all to it, and I've left the ride height stock on it. My RR Hoosier (which is the same size as the OE tires - 325/30-19) still rubbed a hole in the wheel well liner:
Bob
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,335
Likes: 4
From: SoCal
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 10,924
Likes: 853
From: Daytona Beach FL
However, you can see the 2005 coupe in the background of that picture, and I cut the bushings on those bolts to get it down where I wanted it - I think you can see in that picture that it's pretty slammed.
Yes, to cut the bushings I unbolted the lower A-arm to get the bolts out.
But I've read that a lot of forum members have cut the bushings while they're still installed. They either use a SawzAll type reciprocating saw, or a "cable saw" like is used to cut PVC pipe.
Bob
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 4,912
Likes: 266
From: Charleston SC
Here's a picture of the bushing on the bolt resting on the A-arm like you were mentioning:
Jack up the leaf spring to take the weight off the bolt/bushing and take a screwdriver and stick it in there and pry the pad of the bushing off of the A-arm.
On my '05 coupe, I took the bolts out and cut the bushings with a hacksaw - IT WAS HARD TO CUT THEM!!! THEY ARE TOUGH RUBBER!!!
If the pad has sort of bonded itself to the A-arm, you're not going to hurt the rubber by prying it loose with a screwdriver or some such tool.
Bob
Jack up the leaf spring to take the weight off the bolt/bushing and take a screwdriver and stick it in there and pry the pad of the bushing off of the A-arm.
On my '05 coupe, I took the bolts out and cut the bushings with a hacksaw - IT WAS HARD TO CUT THEM!!! THEY ARE TOUGH RUBBER!!!
If the pad has sort of bonded itself to the A-arm, you're not going to hurt the rubber by prying it loose with a screwdriver or some such tool.
Bob
ps: it'll turn but the bottom part of the bushing won't...I'm figthing against the elasticity of the bushing, with the upper part twisting against the lower part....
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 4,912
Likes: 266
From: Charleston SC
what ended up working was leaving the weight of the car on the spring for about 30+ minutes after I sprayed more WD40 at the bottom. Then when I came back to it, I gave the bolt a good yank and it finaly got loose. The ohter 3 wheels, no problems, as soon as the jackstand came in contact with the spring, they all poped off rightaway...took me 20 minutes for all 3...1h for the first one...I can laugh about it now 
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 10,924
Likes: 853
From: Daytona Beach FL
what ended up working was leaving the weight of the car on the spring for about 30+ minutes after I sprayed more WD40 at the bottom. Then when I came back to it, I gave the bolt a good yank and it finaly got loose. The ohter 3 wheels, no problems, as soon as the jackstand came in contact with the spring, they all poped off rightaway...took me 20 minutes for all 3...1h for the first one...I can laugh about it now
Now we need some pictures of that slammed beauty!
Bob